George Washington University
School of Public Health & Health Services

Course last updated: Spring 2000

Page last updated: October 29, 2008

Research-based Health Activism

Topics Course CRN: 32058

George Washington University

School of Public Health & Health Services

Tuesday, Thursday 3:00 – 4:15 PM

Peter Lurie, MD, MPH

Deputy Director

Public Citizen’s Health Research Group

1600 20th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009

For this course, public health is defined broadly to encompass such areas as access to health care, food safety, tobacco use, illicit drug use, environmental exposures, occupational health, violence, public health aspects of medical illnesses such as AIDS or cancer. It is our premise that the collection and presentation of relatively simple data in a form understandable to government regulators, Congress and the media can have a significant impact upon health policy in this country. The course will provide a brief overview of methods relevant to activist research and present examples of research-based health activism that have affected policy. The primary purpose of the course will be to organize students in teams of two to collaboratively develop a data-based project that can be used to influence health policy. We encourage students to develop projects that reflect their own interests and abilities, but expect that most of the research will be quantitative in nature. The main focus of the semester will be to write a detailed protocol for that project, in collaboration with Dr. Lurie and Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, the Ralph Nader-founded health advocacy group for which he works. It is hoped that the project itself will subsequently be completed as part of the students’ Special Projects. If of mutual interest, the Health Research Group is willing to work with students to complete the project and aid in dissemination.

The course will emphasize interactive learning. Classes will meet biweekly to maximize the opportunity for input into students’ projects. Many class sessions will be comprised of students reporting on their progress in developing their protocols, followed by problem-solving sessions in which the instructor and the other students suggest methods for overcoming any obstacles identified.

Reading Assignments (to be handed out in class):

Reading assignments are intentionally light so that students can concentrate on preparing and executing their protocols.